2020 OEC Crossovers: Miramar MVB Goes 4-1 Against Its Orange County Foes

March 8, 2020

The second phase of the 2020 Miramar MVB season saw Jets in their mandatory crossover matches against the five MVB teams of the Orange Empire Conference. These matches annually are a strong barometer for the Jets, as the OEC teams annually features some of the best volleyball talent in the state.

2/21 - #6 Miramar def. #9 Golden West 25-22, 25-16, 19-25, 28-26

Sixth-ranked Miramar MVB ground out a 3-1 win for its first victory ever against Golden West, on its home floor.

While the Jets seemed to set the tone for a sweep with wins in sets 1 and 2, a much improved Vaquero lineup parlayed tactical changes and more consistent play to take set 3. Set 4 was a barnburner, with neither team more than two points ahead of the other, as the Jets squeaked out a set win for the victory.

OH Slater Bird led the Jets with 13 kills. OPP Cameron Einhorn had 11 kills, and MB Chase Blackwell added six kills on a .626 hitting efficiency. Bird passed a strong 2.15 on 30 attempts, while OH Kyce Salihi came off the bench to pass 2.17 on 15 attempts. Blackwell had three blocks, while Einhorn and MB Justin Westerberg added 3 blocks each. Einhorn led the defensive effort with 16 digs, L Joel Aninipok added nine digs, and S Grant Dunlop tallied 41 assists on the evening.

2/26 - #5 Miramar def. #6 Santiago Canyon 25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 23-25, 17-15

In an epic battle, Jets MVB were true road warriors on this evening as they ground out a 3-2 win over Santiago Canyon in the SCC gym.

Down two starters because of grades, a revised Miramar lineup was able to split the first four sets with the Hawks. Gambling on a lineup change in the fifth set, the Jets first went out to a lead, and then watched the Hawks come roaring back to earn a match point at 15-14. Miramar fought off that match point, then used a two-point run to secure the set win and the victory.

Einhorn was stout for the Jets with 21 kills on 54 attempts. Salihi tallied 15 kills, while Bird added eight kills (zero errors) in set 5, his only action at OH for the evening. Bird was a perfect 3.00 passer rating on his six passes in set 5, while Aninipok passed at 2.38 on 38 attempts. Westerberg had six blocks, while Aninipok had 16 digs and OH Eagan Peters-Michaud had 15 digs. Bird tallied 48 assists in his four sets as the setter, while Aninipok moved from his libero spot to log 16 assists as the Jets setter in the decisive fifth set.

2/28 - #5 Miramar def. #10 Fullerton 26-24, 25-20, 25-20

Again on the road, Miramar MVB would use steady play and Fullerton errors to grab a 3-0 sweep at the FC gym.

Still down two starters, the Jets overcame a strong set 1 effort by Fullerton, the lead going back and forth between both teams, before Miramar closed out Fullerton for the first set win. The Jets then settled into a rhythm and used strong serving and Hornet errors to grab sets 2 and 3 and the match.

Einhorn again led Miramar with 13 kills and added five aces to his evening’s work. Salihi added eight kills and Bird seven kills. Aninipok again was strong in serve receive with a 2.38 rating on 32 attempts. Westerberg had four blocks, and S Sirex Vasquez had three blocks. Aninipok and Bird logged 10 digs each to lead the Jets defensive effort.

3/4 - #5 Miramar def. #8 Irvine Valley 25-17, 22-25, 17-25, 30-28, 15-11

Playing against Irvine Valley for the second time this season, Miramar MVB again went the distance with IVC, this time coming from behind to take a second victory from the Lasers.

After losing set 1 to the Jets, the Lasers used physical play and strong serving to win sets 2 and 3, and go out to a four-point lead late in set 4. The Jets, as they have been all season, were unfazed as they rallied to take set 4, and then went out to a four-point lead of their own in set 5 and made it stick for the match win.

Einhorn again was the kill leader with 25 kills at a sizzling .458. Bird and OH Brody Smith had 14 kills each to support the Miramar offensive effort. Aninipok passed a 2.21 on 35 attempts, while Smith passed at 2.20 also on 35 attempts. Einhorn fired down four aces and Smith added three aces of his own from the service line. Aninipok racked up 11 digs and Bird had nine digs of his own.

3/6 - #2 Orange Coast def. #5 Miramar 25-23, 25-23, 25-22

A much-anticipated matchup didn’t disappoint as Orange Coast turned away a spirited Miramar effort and ground out a sweep over the Jets.

Miramar came out hot in set one, forcing the Pirates to call the first time out at 9-3. OCC patiently wound the Jets back in and took the lead late to grab set 1. Set 2 and 3 were back-and-forth affairs, with OCC eventually establishing leads that the Jets simply couldn’t overcome, as the Pirates proved the more physical of the two teams and overcame a strong Jets serving game.

Bird led the offensive effort for Miramar with 12 kills, while Smith tallied nine kills. Smith also passed at a 2.18 pace in 38 attempts. Vasquez tallied three aces, Aninipok had seven digs, and Dunlop rang up 32 aces.

The loss left Miramar MVB with a best-ever 4-1 record against the OEC teams, going into Pacific Coast Athletic Conference play.